The Einstein CMCR will implement a Pilot Projects Program to fund innovative projects related to the pnagrammatic areas that are part of its mission. A defining mission of the Pilot Projects Program is to create a targeted funding mechanism, which promotes innovative research in the field of radiation protection and mitigation. In particular, we aim to provide a mechanism for promising investigators to acquire preliminary data and gather sufficient proof-of-principle to become competitive for subsequent extramural funding in the field of radiation countermeasures. In this way, the Pilot Projects Program addresses a significant barrier to the development of new ideas and new collaborations. To be considered for Pilot Project funding, proposed projects must be significantly distinct and have synergy but no substantial overiap with the existing projects of this application. The CMCR Project Review Committee will select priority areas of study. This program will also support rapid implementation of new ideas that may be important for clinical applications of novel technologies and approaches. The Pilot Studies Program in the CMCR will offer outstanding substrates for building on and synergizing with research currently ongoing at the involved institutions as well as establish an academic environment and incentives to promote interest in all aspects of investigation in counternneasures against radiation. The Center of Medical Countemieasures against Radiation (CMCR) Pilot Projects Program aims to promote collaborative and innovative research aimed at: 1) elucidating cellular and molecular mechanisms relevant to radiation protection;2) development of novel techniques and approaches for high throughput screening of radiation mitigators;3) continued improvement of existing approaches for predicting risk of radiation toxicity, estimating host cytokine balances, and estimating genotoxicity;and 4) understanding and mitigating the pathophysiology of radiation related inflammation.